Relationships & Results

KVN is a young, energetic and dynamic legal practice with a well established client base and practice from our Sandton based office in 5 Fricker Road, Illovo. Our objective is to provide comprehensive solutions in a rapidly changing business environment and to provide specialized high calibre legal services. We are a firm of attorneys with substantial experience in contractual agreements, employment law, lease agreements, litigation and related legal services. We specialize in Immigration law, Residence visas, Work visas and Temporary residence visas.

Immigration Lawyers and Legal Services in Gauteng, South Africa

KVN is a young, energetic and dynamic legal practice with a well established client base and practice from our Sandton based office in 5 Fricker Road, Illovo. Our objective is to provide comprehensive solutions in a rapidly changing business environment and to provide specialized high calibre legal services. We are a firm of attorneys with substantial experience in contractual agreements, employment law, lease agreements, litigation and related legal services.

We have developed a particular competence with regards to inbound immigration ranging from and including all manner of permits and visas, specializing in Immigration law, Residence visas, Work visas and Temporary residence visas.

We deliver all our services with the utmost professionalism and attention to detail, and we look forward to welcoming you as a client of our firm.

Newsflash!

Your Body Corporate and Arrear Levies: To Sequestrate or Not To Sequestrate?August 2018

As a Body Corporate trustee you will understand how important it is to collect arrear levies from defaulting owners. And of course as a section owner you have a personal stake in the process. When normal debt collection processes fail, what do you do?

How to Escape from a Property SuretyshipJuly 2018

You are a director of a company entering into a good, sensible property deal which you have researched thoroughly. So when you need finance from the bank and the bank says “sure, your company can have a R5m loan, just sign this personal suretyship here”, you sign.

What Happens If You Cancel Your Lease Early?June 2018

Whether you are a tenant or a landlord, chances are that sooner or later you are going to be asking yourself the question "What happens if the lease is cancelled early?"

Of course there are no free lunches in life, and a tenant wanting to cancel before the lease has run its full course is going to have to pay at least something for the privilege.

Facebook Defamation – The Truth is not Enough!May 2018

No one wants to be sued for defamation. Apart from the public embarrassment (the media loves this sort of story, particularly where there’s a Social Media angle), emotions tend to run high so you will be embroiled in litigation that is as unpleasant as it is costly and time-hungry.

How to Avoid Disputes over Jointly Owned PropertyApril 2018

Pooling your resources with someone else to buy property can make a lot of sense, whether you plan to share a house, a holiday home, an office or just an excellent investment.

Can You Still Sell As Is? CPA v The Voetstoots ClauseMarch 2018

There has been much speculation as to whether or not the very common "voetstoots" clause has been killed off by the strong buyer protections contained in the Consumer Protection Act, and we analyse this question in regard to sales of both movable and immovable property.

Security Estates: Are Your Rules Enforceable?February 2018

Buying into any form of community scheme means binding yourself to comply with all the scheme’s rules and regulations. Read and understand these rules before you buy - our courts will usually hold you to them.

But not all rules are legally enforceable, and there’s a strong warning for security estates in a recent High Court case where estate speed limits and restrictions on the movement of domestic employees were challenged and found wanting.

Wedding Season is in full swing, and it is essential that you start off on the right foot by sorting out all the legalities beforehand.

Upfront legal advice and assistance is essential here. We'll look by way of example at the "international wedding" scenario - at which country’s "marital regime" will apply to you

Closing Down the Guesthouse Next Door: Notes for Owners and NeighboursNovember 2017

Are you planning to open a guesthouse? Or perhaps you live next door to an existing guesthouse and for some reason want to have it shut down?

Either way, you need to know what your rights are, and what you will have to prove if you end up in a court battle.

How the "Historical Rates" Judgment Affects YouOctober 2017

"It is declared that, upon transfer of a property, a new owner is not liable for debts arising before transfer from the charge upon the property..." (Constitutional Court Order). How does the recent Constitutional Court decision on "historical rates" affect you in practice?

7 Myths about Making a WillSeptember 2017

If you haven't made your will yet, get it done now. Why is that so important and how should you go about it?

Levy collections are the life blood of sectional title schemes, and collecting them is likely to get harder with the economic fallout from our downgrade to junk status.

Property: Do You Have Automatic Rights to Views and Privacy?April 2017

“Diligence is the mother of good fortune” (Miguel de Cervantes)

Another warning to do your homework before you buy or develop property comes from a recent High Court decision to set aside a municipality’s approval of building plans.

Starting a Business in 2017: The Private Company OptionJanuary 2017
"My best entrepreneurial advice is to start" (Dave Morin, entrepreneur, angel investor, CEO and co-founder of social network Path)In our last article in the series “Choosing the right legal entity for your business” we looked at the partnership option. Let’s move on to the private company option, where your business is owned and operated, not by you as an individual or by a group of individuals, but by a “(Pty) Ltd”.

Barking Dogs Driving You Batty? Noisy Neighbours and the Interdict OptionFebruary 2017“Nuisance usually involves repeated infringement of the Plaintiff's property rights. An objective weighing up of the interests of the various parties, taking into account all the relevant circumstances is required in these matters” (from judgment below)

Buy That House! You’re off the Hook for the Seller’s Municipal DebtsDecember 2016“Why should a municipality be entitled to visit the sins of a predecessor in title upon innocent third parties when there is no relationship or connection between that party and the debts in question?” (Extract from judgment below)

Bad Tenants: Can You Lock Them Out? "I'll answer him by law" (Shakespeare)November 2016It's very tempting, when you have a bad tenant who doesn't pay his/her rentals or otherwise remains consistently and unapologetically in breach of the lease, to slap the biggest and strongest padlock you can find onto the front door/driveway gate.

"Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself." (Eleanor Roosevelt)October 2016Here's the story of yet another bitter dispute between neighbours over the loss of a treasured view. The setting this time is a group housing development which was specifically designed to give each and every house views of both the sea-shore and of Table Mountain.

Your Will And A Practical Plan For Your Loved OnesSeptember 2016Whether you are young or old, healthy or ill, single or attached, you should have a Will. Without one, you die “intestate”, which means you forfeit your right to decide who inherits what, who administers and distributes your estate, and who looks after your children and their money.

Meter Wars: A Consumer Strikes BackAugust 2016You challenge the accuracy of a services account from your local municipality, thus: “Your meter must be wrong, no way was my consumption that high”. The reply: “We’ve tested the meter and it works fine. Pay up or face disconnection”.

Neighbours Behaving Badly: Nip Illegal Building In The Bud!July 2016Bad neighbours don’t just impinge on your enjoyment of your property; they can also cause serious harm to its value. So if you notice illegal building activity next door, move quickly to nip the problem in the bud.

Property Agreements – An Alteration Could Sink Your Sale!June 2016Although in our law most verbal contracts are binding, property sale agreements are an exception. They must be in writing and signed by the parties to be valid, the reason being that it greatly reduces the risk of confusion or dispute as to what the buyer and seller have actually agreed.

8 September 2017 - Statement by Minister Mkhize on the closure of the zimbabwean special permitThe purpose of the media briefing is to announce the expiry, on 31 December 2017, of the Zimbabwean Special Permit (ZSP) which started in 2014, and was issued for a period of three years.

07 September 2017 - Court victory for kids born in SA by foreign parentsJohannesburg - Children born in SA to foreign parents are entitled to apply for citizenship, the Western Cape High Court ruled on Thursday, the Legal Resources Centre said.

Re-application for PRP for those who applied prior to 02 June 2014The Department of Home Affairs received permanent residence applications prior to 02 June 2014 utilising the Track and Trace system. The Department has noted that it does not have 4 616 applications on hand as per Track and Trace system.

The case for immigrationCopyright: http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/4/3/14624918/the-case-for-immigration

Current policy could be improved, but American greatness depends on welcoming foreigners.

George Washington set in motion a strategy so radical that it made this country the wealthiest and strongest on Earth — it made America great.

Which countries have the most immigrants?One of the biggest mass movements of people in recent history continues to dominate news headlines and political discourse.

The defining images of the refugee crisis have been those showing hundreds of flimsy boats arriving on the beaches of southern Europe. Each one disembarks a human cargo of desperate and frightened people with a turbulent past and an uncertain future.

The political reaction to the crisis has been mixed. Germany, at least initially, warmly welcomed the new arrivals. In Britain, concern over immigration played a major role in the vote to leave the European Union.

'We are coming for you' - Gigaba to businesses employing illegal immigrantsCape Town - Unethical businesses that employ illegal immigrants are going to be dealt with harshly and managers will be arrested for not adhering to the law, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba warned on Thursday.

"Companies, businesses: Be warned. We are coming for you. We will charge them, there’s no doubt. The manger will be charged. Often times, we focus on the undocumented employee and not the company," he said.

Workplace: 60% staff inspections in pipeline – GigabaHome Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has clarified that all businesses – not just those in the hospitality or construction sectors – were required to have a workforce of at least 60% SA citizens in their employ, says a Cape Argusreport.

Gigaba said his department was preparing for a ‘mass inspection’ of businesses countrywide to ensure they complied. He added: ‘The risk of not employing South Africans is that it endangers the lives of foreigners and the property of companies.

It's time to restate the business case for migrationLast Friday, America's President Trump issued an Executive Order, temporarily banning the entry of Syrian refugees, suspending the entire US refugee admission programme for 120 days, significantly reducing the number of refugees to be resettled in the US this year, and stemming all migration to the US from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days.

Department of Home Affairs - MEDIA STATEMENT: on Angolan Cessation processesThe Department of Home Affairs has noted with concern misleading media reports in relation to the Angolan Cessation process and wishes to correct certain misrepresentations that seek to paint the South African government in a negative light.

Minors Travelling InternationallyWith new visa regulations being implemented on Monday 1st June 2015, the department of Home Affairs has a backlog of around 4,000 applications for unabridged birth certificates. From 1 June 2015, children under the age of 18 will be required to have an unabridged birth certificate or equivalent document if they are entering or leaving the country as part of South Africa's new immigration regulations.

International Medical Aid Accepted for Certain Study Visas
Persons with school going minor children who have medical aid in place for them by an international medical aid provider (e.g. BUPA) no longer need to take up an additional South African medical aid for the children as is required in the law.

SAQA Process More OnerousThe South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), which is responsible for evaluating foreign academic qualifications, has started including the documents' verification in its process. This means that foreign qualifications are now only being evaluated once the issuing university (or institution) has confirmed in writing that they have in fact issued the certificate and that it is genuine.

BRICS Multi-Entry Visa, New Visa Centres Opened in India and ChinaSouth Africa is intent on ensuring that its BRICS partners are accommodated under the new visa rules. Home Affairs has created a new 10-year multi-entry visa allowing a stay of 30 days per visit, available to business visitors who are BRICS citizens (Brazil, Russia, India, and China). Seven additional visa centres have been opened in India and 2 in China to ease the burden of traveling long distances to visa centres in order to make visa applications.

Business Permit / Visa Conditions, DTI Monitoring ComplianceThe Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has developed fairly sophisticated procedures to checks on business permit or visa holders for compliance with their visa or permit conditions. Starting with in-depth desktop research to verify location and appearance of business premises, company registration, SARS compliance etc., the DTI establishes whether the business is up and running and, in fact, conducting the type of business described in the investor's business plan.

About Us

KVN is a young, energetic and dynamic legal practice with a well established client base and practice from our Sandton based office in 5 Fricker Road, Illovo.

We are a firm of attorneys with substantial experience in contractual agreements, employment law, lease agreements, litigation and related legal services. We specialize in Immigration law, Residence visas, Work visas and Temporary residence visas.